While there are no lyrics on this site, there is a reference to the song being among those taught by memory at a "Dame School" in Suffolk in the 1890s.

The text notes that "The logbooks also hint at the indomitable spirit of Freckenham children in the face of stultifying lessons: the 1890s saw preoccupation with learning songs by heart, amongst them: 'A Boy's Best Friend is his Mother', 'Father's Return' and 'The Seasons' ... "

~:o) Mary